Concentrator



rE. E. HORSTMANN.

CONCENTRATOR. APPLICATIONHLED Auc.15,19|9.

1,365,916. Patented Jan. 18,1921.

2 SHEESW-SHEET l.

, Fig. I.

ATTOR/VEK E. E. HORSTMANN. CONCENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUGIS, i919. 1,365,916.

2 SHEETSSHEEI 2.

Fig. 5.

frown/5 Y.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

UNITED STATES ERNST E. HORSTMANN, V0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONCENTRATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application led August 15, 1919. Serial No. 317,732.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST E. Hons'r- MANN, a subject of Germany, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concentrators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in concentrators such as used in providing or preparing food or other essences, and the invention consists in the provision and construction and combination and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings and pointed out in claims.

The invention has for objects the provision of a concentrator which will be relatively simple and inexpensive in construction, taken in conjunction with compactness in form and eiiciency in operation.

This invention constitutes an improve ment upon or departure from the concentrator shown in my prior Patent No. 1,335,504, granted March 30, 1920, and in which patent the general construction and mode of operation of the concentrator are disclosed and made the subject of claims. One of the principal objects of that invention is to provide for an expeditious and thorough cooking or trying out action, the articular association of `the cooking or iieating element relative to and within the working chamber, and the construction of said heating element, providing for highly efficient concentrator action. A further object is fthe provision of novel means for maintaining the inner surface of the working chamber clean and free from accumula tions or deposits of the material being subjected to concentrating action, or of scale.

In common with such prior invention, the present concentrator, the subject-matter involved in the present invention, comprises a revolving coil disposed within the working chamber within which the concentrating action takes place, a circulation of heating medium, such as steam, being maintained through such coil, during its rotation. By experiment and practice I have determined that inequalities of pressure, temperature and other factors are likely to result or occur, as between the several zones or turns or loops of such coil, inasmuch as the heating medium, such as live steam, is introduced at one end of such coil, and in traversing the same and giving up its heat in concentratlng action, is subjected to depletion with respect to temperature, pressure and other factors. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, I provide what I have termed a flash manifold, which connects, and through which communicate, the .several4 loops or turns of the coil, such flash manifold or pipe or passage being disposed between the coil loops and the axis of rotation of the coil, whereby centrifugal action tends to scavenge from the manifold the condensates which otherwise would accumulate therein. Thus, in using live steam as a heating medium, its condensate, water, is kept within the turns of the coil, and is advanced through `the coil and discharged from the far end of the same with the spent or partially spent or exhausted steam. By the use of this flash manifold I am enabled to obtain equal pressure throughout the entire coil between the inlet point of heating me'- dium and the outlet point of such spent or partially spent medium and the condensate. Likewise I am enabled to maintain equal temperature throughout the entire coil, and also an increase in heat transmission per unit of surface of the coil, due to the fact that, due to maintenance of equal temperature and pressure as recited, the temperature difference between the heating medium and the boiling substances lof the working chamber is greatly in excess of that `which could be maintained without the use of this manifold. Likewise I obtain increased efficiency of condensate removal, because the condensate is forced through and discharged from the coil at a constant pressure at all points. I likewise obtain a relative increase in the coefficient of heat transmission, and I am enabled to operate' the coil through a very large range of volume of heating medium without restricting or limiting the effective heat transmission to only a part of the coil, all due to the compensatingr and equalizing effect of the manifold. Thus equal pressures and temperatures are kmaintained throughoutrthe entire coil irrespective of the length of the coil or the number of turns or loops thereof, lor the initial pressure or temperature or quantity of the heating medium at its point of admission.

Other advantages, including the advantages and objects stated, will occur and be evldent in conjunction. with a perusal and consideration oiE the following` description, and a study of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a central vertical sectional view oi a concentrator embodying the invention, parts being in elevation, and parts being broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a detail frag entary enlarged sectional View taken upon the line x2 we, Fig. l, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

F ig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a fragment of the heating coil and an end View of one of the scraping members in connection therewith;

Fig. i is a detail sectional View, partly7 in elevation, taken upon the line t-af 3;

F ig. 5 is a detail cross sectional View showing the anner and means ot connecting the several members for supporting the scraping members;

F ig. 6 is a detail sectional view taker. upon the line .r6- x, Fig. 7, and looking in the direction of the appended arrow;

ig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section and broken away.J oi a hub structure shown in Fig. l, and utilized in supA porting the coil in connection with the rotating tubular shaft likewise shown in that figure; and,

Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary transverse enlarged sectional View, taken upon the line ms-s, Fig. l, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows, and indicating the mode and means oiC connection or" one end ofi the heating coil with the supporting rotating shaft.

Figs. 8 to 8 inclusive are all upon an enlarged scale.

orresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference cha`- eters.

eerring to the drawings with particular reference to the parts shown therein, 10 designates the working chamber of the concentrator, which may be constructed in any desired and suitable design and form, the lower portion l0n there-oi being in the form of a hollow hemisphere, communicatingwith an upwardly elongated open necl portion lOl. This chamber may be mounted upon standards as at ll and is provided with a valved drain outlet .l2 at its lower side. A detachable closure or cover i3 is provided at the top of a contracted portion 13a of the open neck 10b of the chamber, the removal ot which provides for introducing material be concentrated within the chamber l0. rin outlet opening 13b is provided at one side of this contracted portion 13a, and through this opening the concentrated material, in vapor form, passes to a suitable condenser or the open air.

The heating and cooking or concentrating element A. is rotatably disposed within the chamber, and in the form shown in the drawings i comprises :in approximately spherical pipe coil lei., the coiivolutious or turns or loops lill ol which are pro'lciablv equi-distantly spaced from the inside wollel ot' the lower portion l()Il ot the chamber. 'l`o support the coil la, :ind rotate it. I provide u tubular horizontal shut't l5 running through the chamber l0 :it its widest part and iournzilcd in upright bearings lO disposed at opposite sides of the chamber jill. stuiiing boxes l? being provided at opposite` siocs of the chamber to prcifcnt lculcigc lioiu the chamber where the shait passes through the walls oi thc same. The ends oi" the coil ll are secured to and, comimuiicutc with thc shalt l5 at 1S and if), lieing clamped aud bolted thereto. The tubular shalt l? coinmunicates with a. steam or other heating me dium supply source. which is not lshown iii the drawings, the direction ol" trzivcl ot thc live steam introduced :it such shalt being iii-A dicated by the arrow :it thc right-huiul sidoy oj Fig. l. The spent or partially spcut steam escapes from the opposite cud o l the shalt shown in i a'lftcr ti'avcrsiuo thc coil ll-'land :i flash manifold (u i leusiu 'cw ture oi 'the present invcntii'lu, :tud which manifold ,onsists of a pipe or tubular counection extending from convolution il to convolution 1J as clearly shown iii Fig. l. and disposed within such coiivolutioiis. radially.

lt will be understood that the shaft iii may be rotated l j a bolt and pulley or iii auf.' suitable manner, such pulley being` indu-:ucd at 9.0 the left-hand end olf thc shalt lo.

Suitable means Fi are provided lor pre* venting` scale and material treated iii thc chamber from forming or accumulating upon or adhering to the iiriido wzill :il the chamber 1G. rlliis moans ll is rolv i d wiiliiu the chamber conjointlT7 with the coil ll. und

Til

i of;

in Contact with those portions ol thc iniici the material to be coiicoiitrzitml hss contact.y thus' keeping such portions clciin und clczii' by a scraping action. Fluch iiicaiis ll muy consist or" serapingelements mounted iu connection with thc coil .il and adjustable through the agency ot the means consisting or turn-buckles incorporated iii radius rods springing from threaded r'iclrcts 2l .in :i hub device 25 bolted about tli shalt l5 centrally within the chamber l0, Vsuch rods likewise taking into threaded socluus QS bolt ed as at 2T about the respective turns il" of the coil le. Thus, by turning` thc turu` buckles 7, a proper :ind accurate worlfiiu and scraiiiing' contact ot thc scrapcrs with the bottom surface ot the chuu'ibcr l() maintained. The scraping elements 2l :irc clamped as at 28, in connection with t ic sockets 26, above mentioned.. and the coil lil, and the several convolutions 14: with thc wall oit thc chamber portion lll" with which Us f:

mountings of the Scrapers are jpined together in a series by adjustable ball and socket joints 29. v

The particular construction and formation of this scraping means B and the means of mounting and adjusting the same, are not features of the present invention, being particularly dealt with in the prior application initially herein referred to` Now, let us assume that the heating or concentrating element A is rotating pursu ant to rotation of the shaft 15, and live steam is passing through the turns 14 of the coil 14 and through the fiash manifold a through the agency of which such convolutions communicate. or mobile mass to be concentrated is present within the lower portion 10L of the chaniber 10, such material is thoroughly stirred or worked by the rotating coil 1.4 and subjected to a high degree of heat which efficiency concentrates such material, producing gases and vapors which pass out through the opening 13b to a suitable con densing means or the air. The scraping blades 21 keep the surface of the working chamber clean and clear and free of accumulations and remove any scale or other adhesions. The condensed material, either in vapor or gaseous form, or in fluid or semi- Huid form, are removed from the chamber, either passing out through the opening 13 or being withdrawn through the valved discharge outlet 12.

It will be evident that Without the flash manifold a variations in temperature, pressure and other important factors would occur and obtain as between the several turns or convolutions 14a. Such Hash manifold, however, connects up all of these convolutions into a series in which equality of such working conditions, all as pointed out in the early part of this specification, are maintained, with the resultant advantages likewise mentioned. As soon as the live steam traverses the first turn 14:a to the end of the manifold a, it traverses such manifold and keeps each convolution 14al equally supplied with live steam, so that no change or variant is encountered as among any of the coils. The condensate of the steam is centrifugally scavenged from the manifold into the convolutions and finally4 is forced out from the coil into the tubular shaft 15, and thence to a point of discharge. Pressure and temperature conditions are maintained constant throughout the coil and co-eiiciency of heat transmission and evenness of heat transmission are maintained, all without variation, respective of the quantity or pressure or temperature of the steam or other heating medium. The entire coil is equally effective, in the concentrating action, at all points, and the concentrating ac- If the liquid or fluid i tion is therefore carried on with a high effi ciency, and the maintenance of perfect working conditions.

It is manifest that many changes and variations may be made from the foregoing description and the disclosure of the drawings, in adapting the invention to varying conditions of use and service, all without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a concentrator having a working chamber, a rotary agitator mounted within the working chamber and comprising a coil having a plurality of convolutions, means for circulating a heating medium throughout the convolutions of the coil., and means of communication likewise being provided among the several convolutions of the coil.

2. In a concentrator having a working chamber, a rotary agitator' mounted within the working chamber and comprising a coi] having a plurality of convolutions, means for circulating a heating medium through.-

out the convolutions of the coil, and means of communication likewise being provided among the several convolutions of the coil; means likewise being provided for rotating the coil.

3. In a concentrator having a working chamber', a rotary agitator mounted within the working chamber and comprising a coil having a plurality of convolutions, means for circulating a heating medium throughout the convolutions of the coil, and means of communication likewise being provided among the several convolutions of the coil; said means of communication between the several convolutions of the coil being disposed between such convolutions and the axis of rotation of the coil.

4. In a concentrator having a working chamber, a rotary agitator mounted within the working chamber and comprising a coil having a plurality of convolutions, means for circulating a heating medium throughout the convolutions of the coil, and means of communication likewise being provided among the several convolutions of the coil; said means of communication between the several convolutions of the coil being disposed between such convolutions and the axis of rotation of the coil and comprising a tubular manifold mounted in connection with the said coil convolutions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST E. HORSTMANN.

Witnesses:

F. A. MGALLISTER, EDNA TURNER. 

